This book continues the story begun with The Expats. Now living in Paris, intelligence agent Kate is running her own team, but is increasingly feeling that she isn't measuring up. And her husband Dexter is acting like he has secrets again, which didn't pan out well for them last time.
Kate is trying to fit in more with the expat community here, but she's way overdue to host, and so tonight she is having a bunch of people over for dinner. After dropping the kids at school, she goes to the market and gets the ingredients for the meal, but that is when things start to go wrong.
First she hears about a bomb scare at Gare de Lyon, and then there is the suicide bomber at the Louvre. What is happening and why didn't she hear any noises about it beforehand?
Dexter has risked a bigger chunk of their money than he usually does on one deal. But this time it is personal, and he's sure he's done his homework. But as things progress he begins to wonder and worry. And when Kate finds out even part of what he's done, she worries too, and starts to put the pieces together. He's right, it is personal. Very personal.
I love Kate just as much as I did in The Expats, and was rooting for her throughout. There's a lot going on here, and you can see her professional know-how come to the fore. I loved the scene where she played the knight in shining armor rescuing the damsel, nabbing Dexter and taking off with him. I loved the whole story around the Lego. And I loved her human worry and caring.
I also loved the smaller stories. The irony of the sniper's story really got me. The greed of the plotters angered me. Unputdownable.

Kate Moore and her husband Dexter are settled in Paris, where a possible suicide bomber sets of a chain of events around the city that may or may not be real. Who is really the target? Who is really behind it? The short chapters between points of view, plus the fact that it takes place in one day made this an easy read to pick up and put down. I did read Kate's earlier adventure, The Ex-Pats, which I enjoyed very much but don't think it is a requirement for reading this one.

I have read all of Chris Pavone's books so far and thoroughly enjoyed every one. I love a good thriller, especially those with well developed female characters. The pacing was great as usual and I finished this in one afternoon! Definitely recommended.

This is your typical spy thriller book, similar to the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. The story takes place in Paris, with bomb threats at various tourist locations and a suicide bomber standing smack bang in the middle of the Louvre. Meanwhile American businessmen are being abducted and secret CIA operatives have to figure out what's going on. If these are the kind of books you like, this is a good book for you. Fast-paced, page turner.

I find it disgraceful that some authors seek to capitalize on current events where so many innocent people's lives were lost or dramatically changed by terrorism.

Nice continuation for the characters in The Expats. You definitely need to have read The Expats to understand the character background, but really to understand the story. Chris Pavone continues to place you into the scene. The scene can be action packed with gunfire or that look a wife gives her husband over coffee when he admits he has not bought the child’s birthday gift.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41145585-the-paris-diversion

Fast-paced thriller. I think it would benefit people to read the fist of his Kate Moore novels (there is only one other), The Expats. I was confused by the constant references to the past, what happened to her reputation at work (the CIA) and what did her husband so that was so disloyal? Other than that, it was fine: lots of action, action, action. Terrorists with dirty bombs. Paris on full alert. You get the idea. It should be a movie and maybe it was written with that in mind.

It was a good thriller but I had high hopes for this follow-up but didn't enjoy it that much. The characters were good as the first installment as well the writing style, but the events weren't enjoyable .

It was good to see the original characters in this new novel, but...for some reason I found the pacing annoying and I grew impatient with the story. I was expecting more and found the ending anticlimactic.

A diversion is occurring in Paris. Why? This story of Kate and her husband plus several others will have you wondering...terrorist, murder, revenge. What parts does the Mumbai, Hong Kong, Paris stock markets play in the events that are occurring. Read to discover the answer.

There’s never a dull moment in Chris Pavone’s world.

Though this book holds fewer surprises than Pavone’s previous novels, it’s still a compelling page-turner rife with puzzles for the reader to solve alongside the characters as they embark upon their madcap, espionage-adjacent adventures, this time mostly in the streets of Paris.

The Who and the Why in this book were pretty easy to figure out (a tad disappointingly so), but the What and the How mostly made up for it.

Kate Moore isn’t a particularly likable protagonist, which makes the books in which she is the protagonist slightly less appealing than Pavone’s other two novels, where Kate is an ancillary character. Still, the story is compelling and Pavone nails the perspective shift between characters better than most.

Pavone’s tone and writing itself are the standouts in this book, as they have been in each of his novels.

Because it lacks much in the way of surprises, this book doesn’t quite measure up to the exceptional standards of The Accident or The Travelers (though it’s better than The Expats). Regardless, it’s infinitely readable and entertaining.

Crown and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Paris Diversion. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

American ex-pat Kate Moore had no idea how her average day in Paris was going to be affected by outside forces. Just when she thinks that her career may be over, Kate gets embroiled in a deadly game. When danger reaches her doorstep, will Kate be able to use her skills to save the day?

When I received The Paris Diversion from NetGalley for review, I quickly realized that it was a direct sequel to The Expats. Reading that novel first was a priority, in my opinion, and I am glad that I took that step. Although author Chris Pavone did a good job of catching the reader up to date, the little nuances of the character are lost in the second book. Personally, The Paris Diversion was just more of the same and I was not as enamored with the character of Kate Moore as I was in the first book. For a strong woman with great skills and abilities, Kate does not seem to stick with her training as much as she should. Kate is sloppy, takes too many chances, but does come out on top mainly intact. The Paris Diversion was a good, quick read, but not as exciting as I was expecting.

If you, like me, crave reading material that is full of suspense but is flawlessly written, literary-quality (books like those written by, say, Elmore Leonard and George Pelecanos), I recommend to you Chris Pavone. I've loved every one of his books.

This, the Paris Diversion, is a sequel to his first novel, The Expats, but I believe those who have read all four of his books will enjoy this more. Yes, it tells us what has happened to Kate and Dexter Moore since the fiasco in Luxembourg several years earlier, but it also references some of the secrets of The Travelers.

Things I love about Pavone's writing: No other male writer I've encountered does a better job at writing female characters; His treatment of geopolitical realities of the 21st century is up there with (dare I say it?) LeCarre; He seasons his books with a subtle, dry, sly wit with throwaway, deadpan lines like "Malcolm's resuscitated phone starts to buzz at him, as if excited to be alive again. Who wouldn't be?"; His love of place shines through no matter the setting -- urban Europe, South America, Iceland -- giving us literature-as-travelogue.

In this book we have the re-emergence of Kate and Dexter's antagonists from an earlier stage of their lives . As always, Pavone's characters are playing a long game while nimbly (more so for some than others) reacting to the immediate threats of each new day (or in this book, each new hour).

The three primary male characters -- Dexter, billionaire Hunter Forsyth, and the character we know as Chris -- don't come off well. Their sense of entitlement has made them oblivious and close-minded. Four strong women -- Kate; the character we know as Susannah; personal assistant Colette; and Travelers Bureau functionary Inez -- are resilient and resourceful.

Pavone's slow, patient buildup of alternating story lines in the first third of the book built up a sense of excruciating dread. He has become one of those writers whose books are must-reads for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Readers Copy.

I received this as an ARC and this is my unbiased review. I definitely should have read the first Kate Moore book because to be honest I was really lost. The book starts off great. As a reader you can just tell that the story is going to be really good. But then... . I got so lost with all the plot lines and the characters and their aliases I just really was frustrated. Having written that, the writing is solid "But in autumn and winter, the opposite: nightfall jumps out of nowhere, a predatory mugger lurking in a doorway, attaching with quick furtive movements before anyone has time to react." I will not totally pan this story and would recommend it but I just would make sure I read number one first.

<em>The Paris Diversion </em>is author Chris Pavone's follow-up to his 2012 debut, <a href="http://bookshelffantasies.com/2015/05/23/book-review-the-expats/"><em>The Expats</em></a>. In <em>The Expats</em>, we meet Kate Moore, a former secret agent now living a life of domestic boredom as a wife and mother while her husband engages in some shady high finance dealings. The book is terrific and tense and surprising, so definitely check that one out!

Now years later, we re-meet Kate living in Paris, her boys a few years older, her husband mildly to incredibly annoying, and her career back in full-swing, running her own espionage bureau with only the loosest of ties to the US government.

<em>The Paris Diversion</em> takes place over one very dramatic day, as Kate and husband Dexter prepare for a dinner party -- and a complicated plot revolving around terror threats and corporate sabotage unfolds in the city around them. As Kate plunges into action, unable to convince herself to stay on the sidelines, it becomes clear that Dexter's hands may not be entirely clean. Meanwhile, we meet the various players in this international web of intrigue, some bit players, some criminal masterminds, and some merely pawns who find themselves useful or expendable in different ways.

The plot of <em>The Paris Diversion</em> is complicated, but not impenetrable, and hooked me right from the start. It's interesting to get inside the mind of Kate Moore, a woman with pretty typical worries about aging and career and family, plus others hopefully less familiar to most women -- do I have the right weapons? am I being followed? is my disguise in place? how many people will I have to kill today? The book starts off as a thriller about terrorism, but it quickly becomes clear that there's much more going on than meets the eye, and the final puzzle pieces don't click into place until the very last pages of the novel.

Do you need to read <em>The Expats</em> first? Not necessarily? I think <em>The Paris Diversion</em> would work perfectly well on its own -- there's enough backstory provided about the characters and their lives, so it shouldn't be hard to for someone to fully enjoy <em>The Paris Diversion</em> on its own merits. Still, if you're so inclined, I'd definitely recommend reading <em>The Expats</em> as a starting place. Kate is a fascinating character, so why not start with her first appearance?

I've read all three of Chris Pavone's previous novels, and thought they were all excellent. I don't tend to read a lot of spy thrillers, but these books absolutely work for me!

The Paris Diversion is definitely a suspense novel full of twists and turns. You have to pay attention in order to keep track of the story line as it goes back and forth to different locations and times in its development. Although Kate Moore is introduced in “The Expat” I believe you do not have to read that book first and The Paris Diversion can be a standalone novel.

The author is very thorough in explaining everything out. I did however find a few chapters a bit confusing and had to go back again to the beginning of that chapter to understand what what was going on. Chris Pavone also did a excellent job in making you hate Hunter, love Kate and wonder why she is still with Dexter - possibly for the children? Then you find yourself cheering for Colette until.... and I can’t spoil it.... so all I can say is WOW.

Throughout the novel there are several scenarios occurring at the same time. We see the planning of the terrorist attacks throughout Paris. Then we learn about Wyatt and Susanna along the way and realize they are all connected. While all of this is going on Hunter realizes his private police detail has just left on one of the most important days of his life. He is about to make a great deal of money for his investors, but before that can happens he disappears.

What I truly enjoyed about the novel was once Kate got her game on I found myself cheering her to succeed.​ On the flip side I found that I was not thrilled with the ending. To me it felt rushed and left me saying... wait what... and because of this I have to say it needs works.

I was provided this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book for anyone who loves a good mystery. 📕👍🏼

I GIVE IT A 4 STAR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was looking forward to a story of an American in Europe navigating the culture with the excitement of international intrigue added. I somehow thought I had read the first in this series, The Expats, when actually I had read and thoroughly enjoyed two other of Pavone's books,The Accident and The Travelers, so before reading The Paris Diversion I went to the original story of Kate Moore, before plunging into today's book for review. Unfortunately, although I did enjoy the European setting of these two titles, Kate's angst colored what could have been some pretty exciting adventures. Former CIA operative has fled to Europe with her husband to escape capture for financial misdeeds. The story fails for several reasons. Her husband, despite his persona as wheeler and dealer is actually a weak character with little charisma. Why anyone with the grit of Kate has supported, protected and loved this cypher is beyond me. The other big problem with the book is the amount of time spent wrestling with Kate's self-doubts. I like to read about capable characters surmounting the odds and accomplishing impressive goals. Too often in this story Kate is assailed by questions that prevent her from making the best decision. Too much of this book is spent in Kate's head when what this reader wanted was a clearly defined battle between good and evil.
This brings us to the main villain the book, tech CEO Hunter Forsyth. Forsyth is a complex mixture of braggadocio and insecurity and has some of the best lines in the book, but the story line is all over the place, and I must admit I felt little interest in the victory of either side in this tale of corruption and greed.
Chris Pavone has found a special niche, writing about Americans with a past trying to make new lives for themselves in the different capitols of Europe, but Next time I think I will stay home.

I don't know why, but this one just didn't grab me AT ALL... I really liked the ExPats, and was so excited to get this one - but somehow I just never found my way into it. I don't know why - perhaps because it felt an awful lot like a rehash of the issues/secrets/double-life quality of the first book (at least it did as far as I got in my reading)... I seem to have run out of sympathy/empathy for Kate (I never had any for Dexter), and without that I couldn't find myself caring much one way or the other what she did or what happened to/around her. I found the multiple narrators irritating and couldn't connect with any of them either. And without that sense of connection, the whole story just seemed to drone on for me...

What a sensational twisty read. I love these books, and they keep getting better and better. This one is not only a great thriller, but the emotional depth of Kate and Dexter adds such a fragile humanity. I’m happy to up-sell like crazy!

"...kids know this better than anyone, that you have to do it all right now, everything, because this can always happen without any warning whatsoever: you're out of time."

First of all, if you haven't read the first book in the Kate Moore duet, THE EXPATS -- STOP. This book won't make as much sense to you without doing so. Second, the synopsis provided by the publisher is clear in describing the topic and plot. I don't want to give any spoilers so won't go into anymore detail about it.

This thriller was a great follow up novel and every bit as good as the first. Ex CIA agent Kate Moore is quite an interesting character and I enjoy her personal reflections almost as much as I admire her calculating mind. She's a quick study and her ambivalence about being a stay-at-home mom vs pursuing her former career makes what she actually does with her time even more absorbing. Kate and her family are living an expat life in Paris when the events of this particular day jar her from what has become a nearly happy and satisfying semblance of domesticity. There are many characters, red herrings, cross and double cross, and a lot of action. Great tension. Remarkable writing. I really enjoyed it. You definitely won't want to miss this sequel and, dare I hope, there will be more?

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the e-book ARC to read and review.